> US SAILING Media > Latest News > 2010 > New and Improved U.S. Singlehanded Championships Begins Friday in Pensacola
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
New and Improved U.S. Singlehanded Championships Begins Friday in Pensacola
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (July 28, 2010) – A new division for women 16 or older has been added to the fold for the U.S. Singlehanded Championships (USSC). This US SAILING National Championship event, hosted by the Pensacola Yacht Club (Fla.), gets underway this Friday, July 30 and runs through Sunday, August 1. Women will race in Radials and the men will sail in Lasers on Pensacola Bay.
A talented fleet of 12 will compete for the inaugural U.S. Women’s Singlehanded Championship. Mallory Buechler (Pensacola, Fla.) looks forward to competing for this championship in her hometown. Just over a week ago, Buechler finished seventh out of 46 at the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship. In that same event, Annie Rossi (Oxnard, Calif.) finished sixth and hopes to contend again in Pensacola this week. Also, three-time Sunfish North American Champion, Anne Edwards (Baton Rouge, La.), will try her hand in the Radial class this week.
In the men’s division, four prior US SAILING National Champions are competing for this year’s title. Last year’s runner-up, Zeke Horowitz (Siesta Key, Fla.), will return to take another shot. The College of Charleston sailor finished second last year and four points behind winner Kyle Rogachenko through nine races in Lasers. Horowitz was the 2009 U.S. Youth Sailing Championship in the Laser Division and crewed for fellow competitor Fred Strammer when the team won the U.S. Junior Triplehanded Championship in 2006. Former two-time U.S. Junior Triplehanded Champion, Fred Stammer (Nokomis, Fla.), a member of the Brown University sailing team, was a 2010 ICSA Honorable Mention All-American Coed Skipper. He helped lead Brown to a third place finish at the 2010 ICSA/Gill Coed National Championship.
Kevin Laube (San Diego, Calif.) won US SAILING’s 2009 Chubb Junior Singlehanded Championship convincingly by a 15 point margin. The men’s division will also feature a fellow two-time winner of US SAILING’s Chubb Junior Triplehanded Championship (2009, 2007), Evan Hoffman (Escondido, Calif.).
Competing this year for the first time in the championship is John Wallace (St. Petersburg, Fla.), a 2010 US Sailing Development Team member. He won the Laser competition at the 2009 International Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami, Fla. He was eighth out of 73 at the 2010 Laser North American Championship. Also competing this week is Buzzy Heausler (Tampa, Fla.), who is making his eighth run at the USSC.
The U.S. Singlehanded Championships are open to male and female sailors 16 and older. A day of practice racing and a Rolex Clinic led by Kurt Taulbee will be held prior to racing on Thursday, July 29.
Sailors qualified through eliminations, both at the Area level and specific regattas including the Sunfish Class Nationals, the Interscholastic Singlehanded Championships and the ICSA / LaserPerformance Men’s and Women’s National Singlehanded Championships. Qualifying events for this prestigious championship ran through June, 2010.
Please visit the event website for more details on the event, including daily recaps, results, photos, and more. Also, follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all championship updates. The U.S. Singlehanded Championships is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. LaserPerformance, and Hobie Performance Sunglasses.
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership, promotes integrity, and fosters growth for the sport of sailing in the United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About Rolex Watch U.S.A.
Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America's Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, offshore, one-design and women's events.
About LaserPerformance
LaserPerformance is a global company formed from a merger between Vanguard Sailboats and Performance Sailcraft Europe. LaserPerformance is the world’s largest supplier of recreational and high performance sailboats. LaserPerformance products include the Sunfish and the Olympic class Laser, two of the most recognized brands in the sailing world. LaserPerformance has offices in Portsmouth RI (US), Long Buckby (UK), Melbourne (AU), Middle East (UAE), and Hong Kong. For more information on LaserPerformance, call 401-683-0960 or visit their web site at www.laserperformance.com.
About Hobie Polarized
Hobie Polarized is a leading designer, developer, marketer and distributor of polarized eyewear. The brand’s innovative lens technology allows total glare reduction, 100% UV protection, enhances contrast and provides optimum visual acuity. The company’s products are sold worldwide and are used by watermen at all skill and lifestyle levels. The Hobie Polarized headquarter is located in Plainview, New York. For further information, please visit the company’s website at www.hobiepolarized.com.